A picture worth a 1000 words...

Last week was horrible for my teams of choice in the sporting world, but today was another story. United headed home to Old Trafford to host Roma after losing the first game 2-1. And United came out to play. This was the definition of a clinic. Perfect passes, passionate tackles, precise crosses, timely runs and beautiful goals.

And now it's on to the semi-finals. If only we can avoid Chelsea until the very end. I think the Premier League coming down to a United-Chelsea game and the Champions League coming down to a United-Chelsea would be such a gut-wrenching yet somewhat appealing stage of events.

Although, I will admit I'll shout like there's no tomorrow if Chelsea were to drop out of either race any sooner!

Free of charge randomness...

I was in the midst of working on tomorrow night's message for our high schoolers when my brain decided to call it a day. It's actually kind of a good sign. Usually I'm interrupted every 20-30 minutes (and I'm not even that important!), but today I've been plugging away since 11:30 sans interrupts. But apparently, my brain isn't use to this and thus needs a change of pace.

So, in honor of this mid-afternoon sabbatical I offer you this randomness free of charge :

• My wife sent me one of those "send this to 10 of your friends" emails.
  
• I drank a can of caffeine free Coke.
• I cleaned up my blog list...apparently some people have stopped blogging.
• I can't decide which book to read next (Driscoll or McKinley). Please help...
  
• My student worship team is leading worship in the service this Sunday.
• "Everybody knows it sucks to grow up" (Ben Folds in "Still Fighting It")
• I was awaken from dreamland at the butt-crack of dawn to scope out a mysterious crashing noise in the house...it was apparently my son. I'm still not entirely sure but I do know that my sleep did not return for at least 90 minutes.
• I think we need another vehicle.
• I'm behind on 24.
  
• I've been approached by someone writing a paper/article/something about the keys to longevity in youth ministry. Umm...yeah...got any ideas?
  

Ok, that's enough...it's now time to hit the books.

Dear Church...

I'll admit that I've been disillusioned with the church. Sometimes I still am. In fact, just the other day...ahhh...nevermind.

This book by Sarah Cunningham (www.dearchurch.com) sums up so well what I and many of my generational counterparts have felt about the church lately. And while she speaks loudly on behalf of the disillusioned generation, she doesn't let this become what I've heard Philip Yancey describe as a "ritual lament".

At moments I would be thinking "Yes! Let 'em have it." and then the next moment I'm being challenged and wondering what my whole role is going to be. What part will I play in helping the church adjust to a new generation of Jesus-followers? Provided, of course, that it needs some adjusting.

I'm thinking this would be a great book to work through with some similarly-minded people. To hear if the ideas and thoughts resonate with anyone else. To see if this could push/encourage/empower/motivate the disillusioned to start doing something instead of constantly running away. And you have to admit that our generation runs away from the church a lot, right?

But why do we do it? Why don't we stick it out? In fact why do so many people play the "do it my way or I'll leave" card? Why has leaving (or abandoning) the church become so normal?

Dwight highlight 3...

It's Easter and this is the best I can come up with?

Bad sports day...

Last chance for the playoffs this year and we choke with a 6-5 loss? Yeah, not exactly a display in defensive prowness. And not exactly the Dryden/Roy-esque performance that I was hoping for.

A natural hat trick from Ryder, Huet stopping something like 25 shots in the first period alone, and a 5-3 lead at one point just wasn't enough.

Now who am I supposed to cheer for?

Another loss...

United lost again today...sigh...

On the heels of a midweek defeat against Roma in the Champions League, this has not been a good week football wise. Yeah, I know any away goal at Roma is a good thing, but a loss is always hard to take.

I'm really hoping that my Habs can pull off a big victory against those Leafs tonight. But I'll admit that I'm not exactly the most confident right now. The road hasn't been good to us lately, ACC hasn't been good to us...and it should be interesting to see if Huet gets the start. He'll have something to prove. Maybe we'll get a Dryden-esque or Roy-esque performance out of him tonight. The countdown is on.

Random Thursday post...

I'm bored, therefore I post.

This show cracks me up. Sure, not the greatest character development, but David Spades' sarcasm and Patrick Warburton's dry humor make the show. But it'll probably get cancelled. Most shows I like get cancelled. MacGyver, Hidden Hills, Boomtown, Albert the 5th Musketeer...

When will it end...

Here's yet another case of violence off the pitch at a football game. This is getting ridiculous and it needs to stop.

I truly believe that football is a beautiful game. But these moments do not make it look like that to the rest of the world who doesn't seem to appreciate the game as it is.

And now April...

I thought March might have been the month of blogging where I could have beaten my single month posting record. But then life happened and well...the record did not.

I am currently watching another Leaf's game...don't worry, I do have a good excuse for watching them play twice in the last 24 hours. I want them...no...I NEED them to lose. With the battle for a playoff spot in the East going down to the wire, my Habs need to win all their game while the blue and white drops game after game. And while last night I spent 3 periods and overtime as a Penguins fan, today I am a rangers fan. Although I'd really rather that they both loss.

Next Saturday will be a big night as the Habs and the Leafs come face to face. I only hope I'm on the winning side.

Strange...

I know that when you put a blog out there that it's intended for public consumption, but ever since I've installed the statcounter I've been able to notice some peculiar facts about the individuals that drop by to read my ramblings. Today I noticed that 5 different people in the past week have ended up here after doing searches for "monster rabbit".

I dunno...it must be getting close to Easter.

Talkin' sex...

We started a sex series with our middle school and high school groups this week. One word can describe the environment: awkward. We get the nervous chuckles, silly smiles, nervous seat-shifting and the "don't-make-eye-contact" looks. And with an anonymous question box, you never know what you might get.

But the highlight of the week was this exchange with some middle schoolers:

Me: "What have you been taught about sex?"

MS #1: "Masturbation"

MS #2: "Uhh...what's that?"

Yeah...a room full of teenagers and a conversation about sex is the ultimate recipe for "interesting".

Beautifully vulgar...

I'm not sure why but I have a habit of listening to particular artists for extended periods of time...almost to the point where I overdose on them. And sometimes these musical binges seemingly happen right out of the blue. I read an article or hear a song and the next thing my wife knows that's all I'm listening to for the next month and a half.

My most recent one, besides the obvious Dave Matthews and Eric Clapton, is Ben Folds. I think it was an article in Relevant Magazine a few months ago that got me re-interested in his music. I say "re-interested" because already had one album from my college days.

But this afternoon watched a video of a song called "Still Fighting It" (you can find the video here) and felt myself getting choked up. So apparently not only do I have a soft spot for Boy Meets World, but I also find myself being moved by the beautiful music of this often vulgar individual.

I feel like I'm all over the map these days. This can't be normal.

Driftin...

My wife is getting sick of hearing about Clapton, but I found this clip from his show in Dallas last month. This version is not nearly as good as the one last thursday, but maybe you can just enjoy the fret work. There is some close ups of Eric on the big screen a little later in the video.

A living legend...

My wife asked me how the concert was when I arrived home at 2:00am last night. My response was not coherent. Not because I was tired from a long day or worn out from 6.5 hours of driving, but rather because I could not put into word what it was like to watch a living legend do his thing for 2 hours.

Some call Clapton a god. I will settle just short of that description out of courtesy to the One who actually dishes out the talents. But the guy's got some mad skills.

The concert was beyond words. From the beginning to the end every song was filled with "wow". It's a toss up as to which part of the evening I enjoyed more...the acoustic portion that came in the middle of the evening or the 2 song encore that consisted of "Cocaine" and "Crossroads". Oh, and let's not forget "Layla".

I will say that this was money well spent and I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you ever have a chance to see Clapton in concert, don't think...just buy the ticket(s) and go see him. You will have an appreciation for him unlike ever before and you will be glad you did it.

Here's a great review. And this was the setlist for the evening:

-Tell The Truth
-Key To The Highway
-Got to Get Better in A Little While
-Little Wing
-Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad

-Driftin' (EC Solo)
-Outside Woman Blues
-Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
-Running On Faith

-Motherless Children
-Little Queen of Spades
-Further On Up The Road
-Wonderful Tonight
-Layla

-Cocaine
-Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

So what...

I'm falling deeper and deeper into something, but I'm not sure exactly what that "something" is. I know it has to do with the church (not just my church, but the larger church) though. My past and current experiences, my reading, my thoughts and my convictions seem to be up to something. And I'm not sure what's going to come out on the other end. I've had moments in the past 2 weeks where I feel like my head is going to explode. I have times when I'm racing...trying to figure out what to do...trying to figure out the "so what".

I'd liken it to a pile of modeling clay that's being shaped, but right now it just looks like a blob. Is this normal?

SexGod...

I think I read this only because it's Rob Bell. I like the guy. He's smart, articulate and just plain annoying at points. I don't get half the stuff he says, but that's ok, since I normally toss stuff like that aside anyway.

I think Rob describes how I feel about this book best with something from the epilogue:

For some, hopefully, light has been shed on things that matter, "Oh, that finally makes sense," or "I never thought about it like that," or even, "Huh...I'll have to think about that."

As the title alludes, the book is all about sexuality. It's about sex, God, relationships, marriage, lust, self-image, submitting, Hebrew, heaven, hell, animals, angels, dancing and Johnny Cash. Really...it takes it all on.

A New Kind of YM...

I get nervous when people suggest they've come up with a new way of doing youth ministry that is more effective than the "other" way (whatever that other way may be). I swallowed hard when I opened this book and I was guarded, skeptical and pessimistic when I started reading this (which makes me wonder why I started reading it to begin with). My first question was, "who are you to tell me that my way is wrong and your way is right and better?"

My ending question, "what do I need to change about myself and the way I minister to students that can result in a more productive ministry?" Yeah, I noticed that there's a bit of a change in my thought process too.

Chris put into words many things I've thought of over my years of working with students. He challenged me, encouraged me, reprimanded me, and flat out smacked me in the face. I think he's bang on with so many of the things he said. I'd sum them up, but I'd just be writing the book in my own words, and I think that's plagiarism.

This goes on the list of "books you should definitely read if you work with students".

As for the outcome in my own life/ministry. I'm currently involved in the beginning stages of a ministry evaluation and this book helps remind me of some all too important questions I need to be asking as we begin to refine what the future of our student ministry looks like. You'll probably hear about it here from time to time.

Breaking spring...

It's raining again. Or maybe I should say "still". I wonder what the sun looks like. I wonder what it feels like.

Today begins a week of no youth ministry programs. Please note that I didn't say "no youth ministry". I'm smart enough to know that ministry is an ongoing thing. I also realize that the second I mention that it is going to be a quiet week, somethings liable to hit the fan. Isn't that how it always works?

But I'm definitely looking forward to change in my schedule. I've got big plans too. We'll just have to see if I can follow through with these:

• finish reading some books (New Kind of YM, What Matters Most)
  
• start reading some books (SexGod, Confessions of a Reformation Rev)
  
• prepare for a talk I'm giving next Sunday in LifeStage (our version of SS) to the 40-55 year olds about teenagers and what's happening in the lives of our students
• blog about some thoughts I've had lately that need some processing
  
• take a day to read
• finish next month's newsletter
• get ahead on my messages for the upcoming teaching series (we're talking about sex...)
• see Clapton in concert!
  

I could probably add a pile more, but I think I'll call it there so I don't overwhelm myself.

Emergence...

With all the reading I've been doing lately in regards to the subject of the emerging church I'll admit that this caught my attention. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to get the rest of the staff to attend this with me. So...anyone up for a road trip in June?

Sausages & coke...

It's Thursday and I'm home. The plan was to sleep in but instead I was awaken by a plumber and an electrician pounding on the door (this is starting to sound like a bad dream or something). I'll let my beautiful wife blog about the flooring debacle.

But after some quality lego building with the kids now REM is playing in the background, sausages are frying and I'm enjoying a caffeine free coke. And the best part is that I'm not even going to think about work today.

Seasons...

It's just one of those seasons right now. I'm tired and a little cranky (ask my wife), I'm a little run down and worn out these days. It happens from time to time. And the problem is I know exactly what I need but I can't get it. It's called "3 weeks in Maui".

These past two weeks have been unlike any I've ever had in ministry before. It's almost like I can't get 30 minutes of work done without a phone call or a drop in. I've had way too many meetings scheduled and I haven't spent nearly enough time at home.

I know it's not normal, but it easily could become so if I don't make some serious modifications to my schedule. I think I'm going to need to revisit Doug Fields' "What Matters Most" sometime in the next week.

I want to see the music...

Tuesday's episode of House was memorable for this. Can anyone name the other guy (who isn't Hugh Laurie) playing the piano?

I've got words for this PC...

And they aren't pleasant. I just finished a lengthy post about hooliganism and a recent movie I watched (Green Street Hooligans) and now it's been swallowed up by a mysterious blackhole also known as "my computer with a mind of its own".

Not wanting to recreate the original post, I've opted instead for a few highlights from a fairly full yet relaxing weekend:

• Enjoyed watching Green Street Hooligans. It's been sitting on the DVR for almost 2 months but I finally found some time. But don't watch it if you dislike violence, football or English accents. Gritty movie.
• Read "MySpace My Kids". Nothing new was said in this book that I didn't already know, but it could be a useful resource for any parent who doesn't have a clue about the wonderful world of MySpace.
• Watched a pile of episodes of "The Unit" and caught up on my "Lost" viewing. The latter keeps getting stranger and stranger. I'm close to giving up on it.
• Watched RV with the kids this afternoon. It makes me want to try an RV vacation...but I'd be the guy who doesn't have a clue how to empty the sewage tank. I guess I'll opt for tents and hotels.

Confessions...

I know it's odd, but I'm as shocked as everyone else. I just finished a book that I started reading yesterday called "Confessions of a Pastor". I'll admit that a few of Groeschel's admissions stuck out to me which is why I wanted to read it. That and I think someone somewhere along the line might have suggested it.

It's a simple read and I would imagine that most pastors would probably resonate and agree with most of the honest confessions. I think it raised an overall question of what churches are doing in order to not only encourage their shepherd to be accountable, but what are they doing in order to promote honesty and transparency with their leaders.

Let's be honest, most pastoral confessions are usually followed by "asked to step down".

I'll admit that while there is a level of honesty that is a little refreshing, there is also an element of too many simple cliches. Comments like "what's happening to you is not as important as what God's doing in you" and "as our faith expands, worry shrinks" tend to make me a little nauseous at times. Yeah, yeah...I get that there's an element of truth in them.

Should I recommend this? Sure...why not. It's not written about your typical topic. Maybe it would be useful if this could pave the way for more pulpit transparency. I don't think it will...is that normal?

Dwight highlight 2...

Thanks to Marko for this one. Funny stuff.

Radical...

Three posts in one day? I'm on some sort of mission. Or maybe it has to so with the fact that my wife believes my first two posts today were actually her property even though she never actually posted them.

Anyways...I don't think I'm emergent. I don't think I even know entirely what it means. Maybe that, in and of itself, makes me emergent. Either way I've never had an overwhelming desire to delve into the whole emergent movement thing. But somewhere along the line I picked up some books and started reading them. Then I started pondering. What resulted was and interesting little journey that has me more intrigued/curious about church in general.

I finished "The Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll and I will say that I enjoyed his straight-forward, sarcastic, edgy commentary on how we as a church need to rethink the way we are currently trying to reach people with the Gospel. He's got some good thoughts to ponder.

I'll have to pull this one down off the shelf again and go through the questions at the end of each chapter a bit more thoroughly. But until then, I can finally cross another book of my "must-read-before-I-buy-anymore-books" pile.

Trade deadline...

Today was the NHL trade deadline and I'm one of those guys that is constantly checking the web throughout the day to see who got traded. I was really hoping that Gainey would pull off something significant to strengthen up heading into the playoffs. But when the dust settled the most startling news was to hear that the Oilers had traded Ryan Smyth to the Islanders.

This is indeed a sad say for every Oiler fan. That guy was the heart and soul of the organization. Should be interesting to see if they will have what it takes to make the playoffs. A team that relies on grit needs Smyth in the lineup. I don't think they have a chance this year.

In the words of Riley...

"Sleep, no I never get enough
Always waking up tired"
-"Sleep" by Riley Armstrong

I spent the weekend with 18 of my students and 4 leaders at a retreat. I think it goes without saying that sleep did not come often enough during our time away. In fact the only time that sleep tried to make an appearance was while I was behind the wheel on the return trip. And since I feel an obligation to return students in the shape that I receive them, sleep was not allowed to overtake my activities.

It was a great weekend though. The highlight for me being listening to Shane Claiborne. I've heard him before and I have a great level of respect for him. His heart for Jesus and his heart for people shines through in everything he says and he is just as genuine to those who he meets in person.

I watched a group of my students & leaders stand around after the final session and just talk with Shane. It was obvious that they were processing what he said. What isn't as obvious is what they are going to do with what they heard. I know they were challenged. I just wonder how it will all flesh itself out. I'm grateful for a guy like Shane who takes the time to talk students through some of this stuff.

My prayer is that they will not just forget the challenge, but that they will be moved to action. We'll see what happens.

WWJBP...

What Would Jack Bauer Play?

How about everything Gibson! I personally prefer the sound of an acoustic, but I'd be tempted to buy one of these. It's Gibson's Kiefer KS-336. I was impressed by "Jack's" knowledge of music, and especially of Gibson guitars. He knows his stuff!

It turns out he's quite the musician and has amassed a sweet collection of guitars over the years. Which is sad in a way because I could definitely put one of those guitars on his shelf to use.

Who am I kidding? I don't even have time to play the guitars that I've got.

Anyways, it's not normal to own this many guitars is it?

Hurting...

Today I saw students with broken hearts. Kids who are very obviously aching and hurting and in pain. Suffering with life issues, parent issues, friend issues and a host of other issues that most people never see or take the time to ask about.

Tonight I was very much aware of how much our students need to be loved. Loved by me. Loved by my wife. Loved by others. Loved by our church. Loved by Jesus.

Dwight highlight...

I love The Office. No, I haven't seen the original British version and yes, I do have a Dwight bobblehead on my desk.

Jim's practical jokes on Dwight are by far the highlight for me, so I thought I'd share the joy with one of my favorite moments from the show. Enjoy...

Grammy's highlight...

I finally got around to watching the Grammy's the other night (just like everything I tend to be a little bit behind the times). I'll be honest, I mostly flipped through to watch the musical performances. And while most people seemed to be talking so much about The Police reuniting for the evening, I was absolutely enthralled by the 3 song performance by John Mayer, Corrine Bailey Rae and John Legend. In order to share the experience, here it is...

Outsider...

I've never really fit. I'm not sure if that's just because I primarily work with students, but I have always felt like somewhat of an outsider when it comes to relating to adults. In fact, this past year was the first time since college that I have been in a small group of peers where some of the members are many years older than me and I've felt connected to a group of adults.

Last night my wife and I attended an appreciation dinner that was put on for our pastoral staff by our elders board. I'm grateful for a group like this who is doing what they can to show their support and appreciation of the pastoral staff.

My only addendum is that I was the youngest one there by 5-6 years, and I'm sure that the overall average age was likely around 50. Most of the people in the room could have probably been my parents. Yikes!

Let's face it...I'm young. I just wish that I didn't always feel like an outsider of sorts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in a hurry to age, nor do I want to change positions with anyone. It's just moments like last night that remind me of how different I am from most of the world...and how different I am from many in our church.

YM frustrations...

I love my job. I know I'm doing what God has called me to do, but I'll be honest and say that there are just some things I don't like about youth ministry anymore. Ok, so it's just one thing: arranging outside events. You know, those ones where students and parents have to sign their lives away so you can cram them into minivans for a weekend.

I'm currently in a pickle trying to re-arrange (yes, in the sense that it was at one point already "arranged") transportation for a youth conference we are going to be attending. Yeah...this part of the job irks me. I'd rather be teaching or thinking big picture or studying or hanging with the students, not phoning and begging and pleading and pulling what little hair I have left from my head.

I hate trying to arrange transportation. I hate the insurance details and the fine print. I know it's there for a reason, but it sure makes life a nightmare for me. If I had my way I would never plan an outside event again.

(*editor's note - this may have been written in the heat of the moment)

Doggin it...

I'm blitzed. It probably doesn't help that it sounds like a smoker is living in my bedroom these past few nights (love ya Erin!), but I'm halfway to blitzville today. It's 4pm and I'm looking at a hundred things I could do (and probably SHOULD do) and I'm trying to come up with 200 hundred ways to avoid doing them.

In other news...I'm having a music crisis lately. Maybe you've noticed the dichotomy in my "tunesworthy" section lately. Matt Redman, Switchfoot and Ben Folds?!?! I've also found a way to find some time this week for Amanda Marshall, Kenny Chesney, Diamond Rio and Matthew Good. Yeah...it's enough change and variation to make your head spin.

Is this normal?

In the news...

I'm not a big fan on posting about the news, unless it involves Manchester United or the Montreal Canadiens, but this has been building for a while. In fact, I think I've reworded this post about 4 or 5 times. Here it goes...

I am officially sick of hearing about this whole Ted Haggard saga. The final straw was hearing on Jon Stewart the other night (or maybe it was Colbert...either way, it's also been in major news as well, lest I appear like one who relies on Stewart & Colbert for my world news reports) that Haggard is now "completely heterosexual" after 3 weeks in counselling.

Here's a few issues I have...

1. James Dobson wouldn't agree to help counsel Haggard when this whole thing blew up. the smart-alec in me wants to say, "What?!?! It's too much for you to give 3 weeks to a friend in need?" Come on.


2. Is it really possible to become "ungay" in 3 weeks? To me this seems to rank up there with every other celebrities attempt at a quick fix (Miss USA, Lindsey Lohan and the guy from "Grey's Anatomy").


3. All this talk about restoration makes me wonder what restoration really means? Is it just removing someone from leadership, forcing them into counselling and then letting them walk away on their own? Apparently the oversight board recommended that Haggard go into "secular work". Is this restoration?

I don't profess to know all the details of this. Some of these reactions may be of the knee-jerk type, but I can't help but want to shake my head. Is this normal?

Oops I did it again...

I apologize for the Brittney Spears reference, but it's all my tiny brain can come up with after a weekend stuffed in our Versa with my wife and kids while we made our way to and from Calgary for my brother-in-law's wedding.

Yes, the wedding was great. All went well. But my Spears-esque reference has more to do with a trip to Christian Publications that my wife and made on Monday morning. You see, they offer pastors a 20% discount. Add to that the fact that Alberta has no sales tax and you can figure out what happened next.

I bought books. Do you think I'm any closer to finishing the last stack of books I bought back in June? Or the ones I bought in November at NYWC? Ummm...not really. Actually, I'm nowhere close.

But how could I pass up this deal? So now I've got these to read...

• No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke
• The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll
• Dear Church... by Sarah Cunningham
• This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley
• Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel

When will I ever learn?

Fire alarms, laptops & YM...

Let me preface this by telling you about my current group of students. They apparently love any event that we hold inside the church. They aren't keen on sporting events or going to the waterslides, but they'll come out in droves for a night of Mission Impossible.

So we booked the entire building. The plan was to have leaders with Nerf guns roaming the hallways. All the lights would be out and students were going to be everywhere. The plan was also to do a little skit to introduce the evening and explain the "mission" and the rules. So we decided to go for ambiance. So try to picture this...

Lights are out. Spotlight is on. Mission Impossible theme music is blasting. Fogger is going. Yup...you can see this one coming. Yeah, apparently too much fog sets of fire alarms. And I don't have a clue how to shut anything off or even who I should call. And the custodians are on their dinner break.

The next thing I know I can hear the fire truck. Then I see it. Then I have to explain myself. Then all our student and leaders have to wait in the parking lot for the firemen to clear the fog out of the building.

We started our game over an hour late. But we now have a memory that none of our student will forget. And I doubt I'll ever live this down once the rest of the staff hears about it. I wonder what kind of bill I'm going to get from the fire department?

Saving...

I heard they were releasing a phone but it never crossed my mind that I'd be interested in it. I own an iPod but don't really see the point of having songs on my phone. And while I've always been curious about Apple, I've never jumped on the bandwagon.

But I sat down the other night and was reading an article in TIME about the new iPhone and all I need to say now is that I want one. It's that simple. I will not attempt to explain it. Read the article yourself and tell me why this isn't the coolest thing since the invention of the salad-spinner.

But I'll have to start saving now because it won't be cheap. And I'll have to come up with a good excuse why this will have to be my phone. Sorry Erin!

5 things...

Ok, so I noticed this was going around on a few blogs that I was reading a while back. Apparently if you are "tagged" by someone who has posted it, you are also required to post on the given subject.

I will admit that I was not tagged. But I don't like feeling left out, so here goes. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about me.

1. I once appeared on 2 episodes of "The Great Canadian Spelling Bee" which would have aired on CKND (the old version of Global) back in the late 80's. I was part of a 5-6 person team who competed on behalf of our school against other schools in the Manitoba area
2. I once cried at an episode of "Boy Meets World". To this day my wife will not let me live this down. But if you watch Topanga leaving without Cory so much as saying goodbye (season 4, I think) and you don't cry, you don't have a heart at all.
3. I played in a band after high school and we actually played a "gig" at a high school graduation after-party. Ok, so we didn't get paid and we were only the "opening act", but this still counts. I distinctly remember playing a song by Matchbox20 called "Push", a song by the Gin Blossoms called "Competition Smile" (where we changed the a phrase about being high to "being dry") and an original song called "Tell Me Why"(written about a failed relationship between a band member and his former grad date).
4. I have collected Star Wars memorabilia since the early 90's. I have 3 giant Rubbermaid tubs of various toys, calendars, pens, lego, masks, lightsabers, cards and magazines. Close to 90 of my figurines are in their original packages (but none are from the 1970-1980's).
5. I enjoy country music. This is something I picked up from some friends in high school. I've alwasy used country music when I need a break from everything else I've been listening to. There's something about being able to tell a story in a song that catches my attention.
   

I'm tagging the 4 people I know that read this on a regular basis. Erin, Bryce, Kelly & Jon. If you're someone else, don't feel left out. Consider yourself tagged!

Online...

We have been depending on dial-up for our interent access for almost 2 months. And after weeks of phone calls and waiting...and more phone calls...and more waiting...Telus got their act in gear and finally solved the problem. So, it was an exciting moment when we arrived home last night from District Retreat to find that little green "ready" light blinking on the DSL modem.

I really have a hard time remembering what it was like to have to rely on the phone line on a regular basis. These last couple of months have been torcherous at times.

Anyways, it kind of feels like I can get back to normal now. But where do I begin?

Snowfall warning...

I awoke to find white fluff covering the lawn. And you already know what that means...

1. People are parked on the hill up to our neighborhood because their car can't make it up.
2. Schools are canceled.
3. I'll be fielding phone calls all day that ask "Is there still youth tonight?"
4. I'll be fielding emails all day that ask "Is there still youth tonight?"
5. People forget how to drive.

Yeah, this seems to be the usual response around here when the frozen stuff falls from the heavens. After last time this is starting to seem normal though.

Someone please press "play"...

I think I hit the pause button in my head and now I can't get it started again. Everything seems to have frozen up. And this is not the best time for it. I have a message to finish preparing for tomorrow night, a parents meeting to prepare for on Thursday night and a youth leader meeting to prepare for on Sunday afternoon.

And then next week I'm off to District Retreat. So I have to have everything prepared for me to not be around. Ad like I said, this isn't the best time for my brain to drift into "stand-by mode".

Life by dial-up...

Yeah...still no broadband at our place. Apparently Telus is in nor hurry to hook it up either because we aren't getting broadband through them. But this is just getting ridiculous.

Anyways, here's a quick look at a few things that happened over my blogging hiatus...

I rescued 3 Clapton tickets from the bottom of a full garbage bag at 2am.

• I had one of those "sit straight up in bed and suddenly realize that you haven't seen the tickets for 3 days since you opened them and left them on the counter" moments. A mild panic attack, and 25 minutes later...and at the bottom of a bag of old spaghetti, other leftovers and miscellaneous crap...they were rescued.

Our youth worship team led in church this past Sunday.

• I can honestly say that this ranks up there with my experiences playing with "Acoustic Skyline". I've missed the days of leading worship on a Sunday morning. And this gave the youth ministry some much needed exposure.

Retreat/conference season is upon us.

• It's that time of the year that everyone who is anyone is trying to convince me to bring my students to their conference. YC Generation, Legacy, Rush, Dare2Share have all been on the radar and I think I've narrowed it down...almost.

Goals for the New Year.

• I have a large list. That way I am sure to accomplish something, right? Actually this one could be a post all it's own, but I wonder if there's any point in putting down on paper what I'll probably forget about in a week's time. Hey, but isn't it the thought that counts? Stay tuned...maybe.

Apologies...

No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet. All though some days I wish it was possible to just drift away into the galaxy...but that's another thought for another day.

As I have noted before not everything was finished in the house before we moved in. And while that didn't seem like the end of the world at the time, it has now become a major form of aggravation and frustration. Sure, the phone line has been fixed and the security system has been installed, but we still have wires hanging out all over the place. After 5 phone calls and almost a week of waiting we find out the guy won't show up until Tuesday to do work that his boss should have done the first time he was at our place.

And then there's the internet access, of which we currently only have dial-up. I know, I know...we're spoiled. But I just don't have the patience for dial-up, especially when I'm wondering if I'll miss a phone call from someone who is actually planning to come and finish up something in the house. This would therefore explain my lack of presence on the web.

Ok, that's enough of my ranting. I should be in a good mood. We have a 3 week break from our crazy student ministry schedule, I'm helping making gingerbread houses in Aidan's class tomorrow, I see my surgeon on Monday about my knee, my Red Devils are 5 points clear at the top of the table, and The Office is an hour long tonight.

And now it's back to work for me.

Too much junk...

I'm beginning to wonder why I didn't get rid of more stuff before we moved out here last year. Now that all our earthly possessions have been crammed in our basement, we are beginning to realize we may not have enough space for everything. I think eBay may be calling...

And while I'm loving the fact that we actually have our own space now, it's a little frustrating to see how much stuff is yet unfinished. The vacuum isn't working, speaker outlets aren't connected, phone jacks aren't even on the walls, coat hooks are missing. And don't get me started on the 60 plus minutes I spent trying to hook up our washer and dryer. (I still think that's the appliance guys job.)

But, it's our home. And by tomorrow most things should be connected or installed. Now we can get our family back to normal. Whatever that looks like!

I dunno...

Maybe there's something wrong with me. Or maybe it's just another one of God-given characteristics that prepares me for working with middle schoolers. Either way, I found this funny. To be honest, I found it way too funny. (Thanks to Marko)

I'm sorry if you just lost all respect for me.

Snow day...

Snow. Lots of it. Well, lots of it if you're living in BC. If you call Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta home, then this really isn't that much snow. But hey, who am I to argue with taking a day off?

I actually drove to work and found a sign on the door saying "office closed". School's have been canceled. People are stuck in their driveways. You cannot see me, but I'm shaking my head in disbelief right now.

Oh, and to all the wonderful "BC drivers"...if you're tires are spinning and you're not making progress through the intersection DO NOT HIT THE GAS HARDER! Sheesh...you'd think that something like this would go without saying.

And lastly, now playing on iTunes is "Christmas Convoy" by Paul Brandt. My wife is loving it!

Clapton tickets...

I tried. But it was finally too late...unless I wanted to pay $125 (plus service charges) to sit behind the stage. Yeah...you can see why I've opted not to go for it.

However, the Clapton ticket saga continues as I found out he'll be in Seattle the night before he's supposed to play in Vancouver. The good news? Tickets don't go on sale until next Saturday! So, there's still a chance this could work.

Ahhh...Friday...

Woke up to the arrival of some friends from our old stomping grounds. It was nice to catch up and share a few laughs and some memories. And it was great to watch our kids. You would never know that it had been almost a year since they had seen each other last.

Anyways, I took off for a little time on my own this afternoon and watched "Deja Vu". Not phenomenal, but certainly not the worst movie I've ever seen. either way, it was nice to just sit and let my brain focus on something else for a while.

In house news...the cleaning people are supposed to be finished today. Then there's still a pile of little things to be done before Thursday. Electrical odds & ends, appliances, shower doors, a bookshelf and a back splash to name a few. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that we might be able to move in a bit earlier.

And I know you're all waiting for an update on Clapton tickets. Ummm...I'm a little sad to say that they do not exist...at least not yet. But they still could turn up in the very near future. Quick, someone head over to Erin's blog and tell her that she should buy me some tickets!

On sale Friday...

I'm surfing around tonight after the kids pack it in for the night and I find out that Eric Clapton is going to be in concert next March. I missed out on seeing him back in 1998 when he made a stop in Edmonton and I always hoped he'd make it back north of the border. And at long last that day has arrived.

Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday. Now I just need to convince my wife that this is a good investment for the future. "Yes, I really did see Eric Clapton live."

Please feel free to send your cheques or money orders to me at the following address...

NYWC '07...

I started to post and then I realized that I would say too much and try to be too profound an insightful. Then I stopped and thought to myself, "when have I ever been profound and insightful in my blog?"

So, here it is...the simplified version of what I experienced in Anaheim. It can be summed up by one word that is written in red marker on the back of an American one dollar bill. LOVE.

Everywhere I turned I was being reminded to love.

• The crazy sign people reminded me to love the people that believe differently than I do.
• Efrem Smith reminded me that "God wants to love the hell out of you."
  
• Matthew Barnett reminded me to stop seeking after success and start seeking after the welfare of the people. Again with the love thing.
  
• Mike Pilavachi reminded me "go after the one" and to "love with Jesus' heart". Whole lotta love.
  
• Shane Claiborne (who left me with the dollar) reminded me "don't do great things; do little things with great love!"
• Marko reminded me that I'm also arrogant and I think that's because I'm usually more in love with myself than with other people.
• I was reminded that I need to love my family more.
• I was reminded that I need to love difficult students more.

At one point we were asked to select one word that we felt God was placing on our heart. Then we were asked to write that word on a mirror with a sharpie and then look at our reflection behind that word. What was it that God was trying to reveal in us and through us. The one word for me? LOVE.

I'm still trying to work this out practically. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with my dollar (go here to read a way better explanation by Kerry). I'm still trying to figure out how to love difficult people. I need to greatly improve how I love my family. I've got to just get better at loving people overall.

4 on a couch...

It's been crazy weather here today. Lots of wind and rain. Ok, so the rain isn't that unusual, but the wind has been sending tress crashing to the ground and blowing small animals into the ocean.

I kind of wondered if any high schoolers would show up. Well, they did. But the mood was a little...umm...I'm not even sure how to describe it. So, instead of our usual routine we opted for playing four on the couch. What is it about this game? This seems to be the one game that every single student will willingly participate in. Go figure...it's the simple things about youth ministry that make this the greatest job on earth!

We also had the power go out with 15 minutes left in the evening, so instead of a mini-lesson we went for a group prayer time. All in all, it's great to have a night like this every once in a while where you can change things up at the last minute and just go with the flow.

Of death & bluegrass...

I started reading David Crowder's book "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die (or The Eschatology of Bluegrass)" last week. Then on Friday my wife and I headed over to the AMC in Downtown Disney to watch Stranger Than Fiction (which wasn't a bad flick, by the way).

Suffice to say that I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the subject of death in the past 6 days. That could explain why I wasn't particularly enthused to be on a plane in a rainstorm on Saturday night.

I should point out that I don't have some fascination with death and mortality. I just sort of fell into this. I spent a good deal of Crowder's book wondering just how things were going to come together in the end. He talks at great length about the soul and how it has been viewed throughout history. He also talks a great deal about the origins of bluegrass music. Then he weaves in some of his personal story, some emails, some IMs with a bandmate and even an interesting (yet sometimes confusing) story about three people whose lives intersect due to loss and suffering.

I know..it's a little confusing. Which is why it's good to stick it out to the end. And while the end result is not really anything new, it does serve as an excellent reminder that there is more to life than the here and the now. There is more that just today's suffering. We have hope. With that said, hope doesn't eliminate all the hurt we can feel when we lose someone.

Crowder's wit, humour, honesty and unique outlook on life provide a fresh outlook on a subject that's not often discussed by many. And now I can officially say that I have more of an understanding for (and an appreciation of) bluegrass music.

Dork factor...

It could take me a little while to deconstruct and process everything from NYWC. In this post I shall do neither. Instead I shall try to explain how much of a dork I have become. (And I know what you're thinking, "That shouldn't be too hard.")

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my high schoolers about journalling and I decided to bring out my journal so I could be a shining example of how a person can commune with God. (Doesn't that sound noble?)

Instead I realized that my "dork factor" increased. Oh well, you've got to embrace it sometime right? So I decided to stop trying to run from it this past weekend and come to grips with who God created me to be...a DORK.

While I want to spare you all the gory details, I fear that you may not completely understand the events that transpired and then make unnecessary and unfounded judgements about me. Please don't. Just try to picture yourself the day you finally begin to embrace your dorkiness.

Anyways...it turned out that Disney was taping their annual Christmas Special which meant a special parade and guest appearances by select "artists" (I use that term loosely because of the first act we witnessed). The overall goal was to watch Daniel Powter perform live in front of the castle and maybe (just maybe) make it onto TV.

And since this post is already too long (and not very profound) I'll just state for the record that neither Erin or myself wanted to witness 2 teens named Aly & AJ lipsynch a song 3 times. Nor did we want to be surrounded by 13 year-old girls swooning over Ryan Seacrest. We wanted to see a Powter concert. Instead we ended up seeing him sing to a background track (yes, 3 times) before being introduced by Seacrest after the songs were completed. Uh...yeah...apparently that's how they do things in Hollywood. Film the intro at the end of the segment.

But I willingly participated in this and so therefore I am now, and forevermore, a dork. You can look for this dork in the crowd on the Christmas Day showing of the Disneyland Parade on ABC (check your local listings).

This can't be normal...

From the south...

The sunshine is certainly better that any rain we were getting back at home and it's also not so bad hanging out with piles of other people who have the same strange desire in life to tell teenagers about Jesus. But occasionally there are strange things...

• people with signs saying that YS leads to hell...(only in America, eh?)
• a band that has a guy dance around the stage all night with absolutely no purpose...except for an occasional tambourine
• a guy that wears an orange jumpsuit and plays horns

Maybe we'll get some pics up when I'm back. As for now I think I'm over my 10 minute limit.

5 hours...

I need to be up in five hours to head for the airport. I should really be in bed but I need to wait for some clothes to get out of the dryer. But by 7:55am tomorrow morning we'll be on our way to Anaheim. I'm looking forward to NYWC and a few days in the shadows of Mickey.

My intern has been left in charge. He's great and I'm sure he'll do an awesome job. But I'm always nervous when I have to pass the reigns off to someone else. I'll probably spend most of tomorrow's flight trying to think of what I forgot to tell him.

Anyways...the packing and sleeping beckons me. We'll try to keep you posted from the sunny south!

Oh yeah...and what's the deal with high schoolers and their crazy desire to light fireworks in the Church parking lot? That's not normal is it?

Soccer, Middle School & Yac...

My son's soccer wrapped up today. Strangest event ever. They lined up and marched out of the room so they could march back into the room and then through the room. Then some woman made them dance, which looked more like a 500 foot line of kids trying not to fall over by holding on to each others waists. Then they got a trophy a water bottle and a soccer ball. Just a proud dad moment.

Then it was back to my middle school group for the evening. It always amazes me how simply hitting each other with a pool noodle or chucking a hacky-sack at each other can be so entertaining.

And 2 days until we leave for NYWC. Woohoo! (That's in memory of Mike Yaconelli)

Dealing with loss...

I watched the Brandon Wheat Kings lose on Friday to the Chilliwack Bruins (yes, I have decided to attend Bruins games again...but at least this time there was no porn). Then I took a group of high school students to watch my Bombers get beat up by the Lions last night. Sheesh...at least Wayne Rooney & Co. were able to thrash Bolton 4-0.

Ok, this next part has nothing to do with loss...

I had a leader meeting today. It went fairly well. I've got lots of youth ministry rookies on my current team, but they all have great attitudes. It would be nice if we could add a few more bodies to the team though before we break for Christmas.

Red...

Ok, so I'm getting very unoriginal and boring with my titles. It's been a long couple of weeks with youth stuff, so I'll blame it on that. My in-laws are heading out on vacation, my parents are coming out tomorrow, it's my b-day tomorrow, we have a youth event tomorrow, a youth leaders meeting on Sunday and I'm hosting the service this week.

I'm seeing red because I just got a call today from an "independent adjuster" who wants to meet with me next week to talk over the facts of the collision I was involved in back in July. Apparently the other driver that hit me isn't too happy about being at fault and they're challenging ICBC. Good grief...now I have to go through the process again.

And here's why I'll be wearing red...With all the craziness going on I got to open a few presents last night. And while my Dwight Schrute bobblehead ranks right up there as one of the best gifts, my favorite is probably my jersey. Yup, another Manchester United jersey, but it's my first one with official patches and even the name and number of the great Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. So cool!

On the ipod...

Thought this might be interesting...If you read this and you have Itunes, give it a try.

HOW MANY SONGS? 4288

SORT BY SONG TITLE:
First is 'Til the Day I Die by Third Day
Last is Zombie Zoo by Tom Petty

SORT BY TIME:
Longest is 38:52 with #41 by Dave Matthews Band (from a live concert in Ottawa in 2002)
Shortest is 8 seconds with Too Much by Dave Matthews Band (actually it's a fake intro they once played in concert)

SORT BY ALBUM:
First is Back to the Future Soundtrack by Various Artists
Last is Youth by Matisyahu

TOP THREE MOST PLAYED SONGS:
1. Wholly Yours by David Crowder Band (56 times)
2. Foreverandever Etc by David Crowder Band (53 times)
3. Here Is Our King by David Crowder Band (47 times)

TOP THREE MOST PLAYED NON-CROWDER SONGS:
1. Second Place Victory by This Day & Age
2. Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall
3. Girl America by Mat Kearney

LAST THREE SONGS PURCHASED:
1. Eclipse by Cary Judd
2. In Your Eyes by Jeffrey Gaines
3. The Great Escape by the BBC Orchestra

LAST ENTIRE ALBUM PURCHASED:
1. No Safe Bet by Pete Schmidt

RANDOM WORD SEARCHES:
"Can't" 37 songs
"Find" 8 songs
"Normal" 12 songs
"Dave Matthews" 383 songs
"Mike" 18 songs
"Erin" 25 songs
"Disney" 48 songs
"Unplugged" 66 songs
"Live" 339 songs

FAVORITE PODCAST SUBSCRIBED TO:
1. Acoustic Tuesdays

This is an instrument...

Richard gets the credit for this post. He pointed out that one of the sounds in the last video I posted was made by an instrument called the Theremin. I'll admit that I had never heard of this so I decided to check it out a little further. And this video is probably the best explanation of the instrument with the best demonstration of the song, all by a guy wearing the best pants ever.

Prepare to be amazed...

Random video...

This year at our youth events I started something I like to call the "Random Video of the Week". Sure, it's not very profound or original, but it is occasionally funny. I think the funniest is watching how the students will react to the videos. Some of them are still trying to figure out the point to many of the videos.

So, I thought I'd share the randomness with this little gem...

Soccer Saturday...

I woke up at 5ish this morning so I could hit the record button on the VCR so I could watch United play at a half-decent time. Unfortunately I missed the first 25 minutes of the game and I was shocked to see a 1-0 scoreline in favor of Wigan. Anyways...I headed back to catch a few zz's and then watched the rest of the game a little later.

I know, this isn't super profound, but it is Saturday. And soccer and Saturday go together so perfectly. Anyways, United battled back to win 3-1. And Solskjaer scored the final goal. It's so good to see a guy putting the ball in the net after being out with a multitude of knee injuries for almost 2 complete seasons. It gives a me some hope that I can actually come back from my knee injuries.